The Fundoshi Is the New Trend! The Future Created by the Good Design Award-Winning "sharefun"

Right now, Japan's traditional undergarment, the "fundoshi," is gaining renewed attention. Its popularity is gradually spreading to include actors and celebrities. Amidst this trend, a new fundoshi designed to relax both body and mind, "sharefun," is achieving explosive sales growth. This time, we interviewed Keiji Nakagawa, the developer of "sharefun" and chairman of the Japan Fundoshi Association, about the allure of fundoshi and the secrets behind "sharefun's" popularity.

Tying the Strings as a Switch to Toggle 'ON & OFF'

Fundoshi is a traditional undergarment unique to Japanese culture.

Have you heard that fundoshi is suddenly garnering attention? The person behind this is Keiji Nakagawa, who created "sharefun" and "TOTONOU PANTS." Nowadays, he is heavily invested in popularizing fundoshi to the extent that he now serves as the chairman of the Japan Fundoshi Association.

Nakagawa's interest in fundoshi stemmed from his personal experience.
 
"I started to take an interest in fundoshi when I became depressed due to work issues in 2011. By chance, I heard a respected senior talk joyfully about switching from regular underwear to fundoshi, saying it made him feel much more energetic both physically and mentally. That piqued my interest, and I decided to try it myself."
 
At that time, traditional Japanese sweat-absorbing undergarments called 'steteco' were gaining popularity and were being transformed into relaxation wear. When Nakagawa tried to get his hands on a fundoshi, he found that it was so scarcely available that even at a department store, the shop assistant had to fetch it from the drawers after being specifically asked. Additionally, they only sold red or white 'Echuu Fundoshi.'

"I bought a red linen Echuu fundoshi. The first time I wore it, I was amazed at how comfortable it was, wondering why no one else knew about such a comfortable item. That night, I slept soundly for the first time since being diagnosed with depression."
 
Nakagawa later realized that the act of tying the fundoshi strings helped improve his depression.
 
"In daily life, the act of putting on underwear was the only thing I did, but tying the strings enabled me to clearly switch 'ON and OFF.' Upon further investigation, I found that the act of tying the strings is akin to tying the belt of a judo uniform at the 'tanden' (abdomen area), an action ingrained in traditional Japanese practices, which might have helped sharpen my focus and discipline."
 
According to Nakagawa, when you are mentally exhausted from overworking, all your actions become routine, and you don't start anything new. By adding the act of wearing fundoshi to his routine, his depression steadily improved.

The Miracle of "sharefun" & "February 14th (Fundoshi Day)"

Nakagawa, who had been laid off due to depression, reached a turning point where he needed to start something new. When he pondered what interested him, he found "fundoshi" right in front of him. This led to the development of "sharefun."

"When it came to popularizing fundoshi, I thought a name that breaks its stiff image was necessary. Something stylish... stylish fundoshi... a witty fundoshi... I came up with a name that would be easy for people to call—'sharefun' (laughs).

"However, writing it in hiragana felt uncool, so I changed it to the alphabet, and it became 'sharefun.' From there, I started with a logo and a proposal I made using PowerPoint.
 
"Later, a friend told me, 'This naming must be a double meaning from wanting to spread fundoshi, as it's also 'Share Fun,' and I responded, 'Yeah, that's right' (laughs). Of course, I talk as if I came up with this double meaning to share the comfort and enjoyment of fundoshi with people worldwide."
 
Nakagawa, who started the business, had just quit his job and had no money. To make the most of the 300,000 yen he had, the first steps he took were setting up an online site and registering an anniversary.
 
"At that time, registering with the Japan Anniversary Association for 70,000 yen (the registration fee then; now it's 150,000 yen per registration) would make it an official anniversary. Using the wordplay from 'fundoshi,' I officially registered February 14th ('fundoshi') as 'Fundoshi Day.' Media people check out the official anniversaries registered with the Association and request interviews. It coincidentally overlapped with Valentine's Day, which I had also anticipated in my calculations.
 
"At that time, launching an online site was also expensive, so I invested 200,000 yen there. With the remaining 30,000 yen, I asked the factory to produce 'sharefun' with the promise to compensate them when sales were made, sharing the risk together.
 
"'sharefun' turning into 'Share Fun' and February 14th becoming 'Fundoshi Day' was truly lucky. Every year on Valentine's Day, TV programs and other media started requesting interviews.

"Valentine's Day conversations usually focus on chocolates, but being something unique, it often catches the eye, leading to attention in winter as well as summer, contributing to its spread. Plus, it gets introduced as a gift item due to the timing. The Japan Fundoshi Association calls this the 'Fundoshi Miracle' (laughs).
 
"The feature of the fundoshi is that it doesn’t tighten around the groin, improving blood circulation," says Nakagawa, explaining his dedication to 'sharefun.'
 
"'sharefun' comes in the 'mokko fundoshi' style. It's designed to be worn by passing your legs through it just like normal underwear. It has no elastic at the waist, so you tie a string on the side to adjust it. Many fundoshi users have skin conditions like eczema, so we aim for seamless stitching, external tags, and sewing that minimizes fabric fold interaction with the skin.

"We use domestically produced organic cotton gauze fabric, making it environmentally friendly too. Another feature of the fundoshi is that it doesn’t tighten around the groin, promoting better lymph and blood flow while keeping the delicate area from getting stuffy, maintaining cleanliness."

"Based on my experiences, many people who turn to fundoshi are those dealing with some issue," says Nakagawa.
 
"For example, those with an itch they can't talk about, or whose skin gets irritated from fabric friction. People who arrive at fundoshi often have some problem, making compromise on design or material not an option."
 
This dedication to the product has earned "sharefun" recognition. It uses soft, organic cotton gauze on the inside, combined with seamless stitching, to achieve a design that won the Good Design Award in 2022. Additionally, it received the Social Products Award from the Social Products Award.
 
According to Nakagawa, products like "sharefun" are also appreciated for their manufacturing processes and delivery aspects.

The "sharefun" products are actually made in factories in Fukushima and Iwate, hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. The shipment of products is handled by individuals with disabilities or mental health issues through welfare organizations. The acknowledgment of these social contributions is essential in the evaluation for the Good Design Award and the Social Products Award.

"I have experienced both the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as depression. So, I hope that people who are struggling or have been affected by disasters can find some motivation to keep pushing forward through these traditional fundoshi. But according to the people on the ground, it seems like they are really getting into it, saying things like 'We’re busy with fundoshi work now' and 'What’s that about fundoshi?' (laughs)"